Under the Red Hand
by Allmyshipshavesunk
Summary: Natalia is on her own, begging and stealing in an attempt to make a dent in the never ending hunger. When she gets the opportunity to become something more, to be someone special, a part of something, she willingly takes it. However the mysterious Red Hand organization proves to be much more sinister than she was led to believe. Now she'll have to fight to survive.
1. Chapter 1

Natalia wandered through the village market, doing her best to take in everything around her while also avoiding notice. She watched for distracted merchants who left an opening for her to sneak in and relieve them of their wares, for market visitors who left their money pouches exposed to her nimble fingers, it was an art form, one she knew much too well for a girl of her six years.  
Sometimes she thought she could hear a strangely familiar voice whispering in the back of her mind, telling her that stealing was wrong, but hunger was a far louder motivator. She didn't think it had always been like this, hunger and hiding, but she couldn't remember anything else.  
She finally saw the perfect opportunity at the stand of a traveling cloth market, the local lord's own steward was haggling with the merchant over a bolt of cloth no doubt intended for the lady of the castle. His expensive coat hung open to reveal the heavy pouch of coins hanging from his belt.  
Natalia walked right up to the steward and tugged at his coat until he looked down at her with an irritated expression. "What do you want?"  
Not releasing her grip on his coat Natalia looked up with her best plaintive expression, "Please sir, can't you spare a few coins for a poor orphaned child."  
The man tried to pull away but Natasha kept her grip on his coat, "Please sir."  
With a disgusted glance at her grubby face and hands the steward finally pulled away roughly, pushing her back, "If you're in such dire straits then go to the church, 'tis their duty to see to such things."  
Natalia wiped away tears and murmured back "Yes sir." She wandered off with a dejected slump to her shoulders. It wasn't until she had reached the cover of an alleyway that she ceased her false tears and let a triumphant smile slip across her face as she felt the heavy weight of the steward's purse under her ragged shift.  
"That was smart, getting him to pull away so he wouldn't feel you lift his purse."  
Natalia froze and then turned to face the speaker. He was about thirty with thick blond hair and icy blue eyes that seemed to see right through her, or perhaps more importantly right through her shift to the contraband underneath.  
Almost as if on instinct she started up the cheers again, "I'm sorry sir," she sniffed loudly, "I'll give it back. I know it was a bad thing to do, but after папа died and мама got sick we ran out of money and-" she took a ragged breath and wiped her eyes with a grubby hand, "and we haven't eaten in days. I just wanted to help my family."  
The man burst out laughing, startling away Natalia's tears, "By my sword you are a clever little wench aren't you? You nearly had me fooled for a moment there. I can't say that I've ever seen such natural talent in all my days." He knelt down in front of her, putting himself right at her level. "I can make you even better, I can make you the best this world has ever seen. What's your name sweeting?"  
Natalia hesitated then decided she really had nothing to lose, and being the best at something sounded nice. "Natalia."  
"Ivan, Ivan Petrovitch." He removed his single red glove and took her fingers in his, bringing them lightly to his smiling lips, "I'm pleased to make your acquaintance Natalia."


	2. Chapter 2

Natalia tore at the bread like an animal, putting as much of it as possible into her mouth at once. She wanted to savor it, to enjoy the luxury of eating something that wasn't days old or covered in filth, or in most cases both, something that she hadn't had to steal, but her survival instincts pushed her to fill her stomach while she had the chance.

Across the table Petrovits watched her eat, a smirk tugging at the edges of his mouth. "Tell me, how did you come to be on your own? I think we both know the story you gave me before was a lie."

Natalia reluctantly stopped shoveling food into her mouth and shrugged, "Don't know, can't remember."

Petrovits smiled, "Good, where we're going the past means nothing, you must think only of the future, the future that we will create."

Natalia considered this for a moment, it had been a long time since she had though of anything but the present, anything but finding her next mark, her next meal, her next source of shelter. Her life had been the same for as long as she could remember, she had only her name to indicate it had ever been anything different, and she'd never had reason to think it would ever change. "You are saying that I can choose my future?"

The man threw his head back and laughed, "No my little feather head," he leaned forward to look her right in the eye, "you are going to be the future, and not just the future of Russia, no, you will be the future of the world." Quickly changing subjects Ivan turned to look out the small open window of the tavern where they were taking their meal, "Come, tis a long road we have ahead of us and eve shall soon be upon us." Petrovits pushed away from the heavy wooden table and stalked out of the inn towards his horse.

Natalia took a moment to secure the remaining bread under her shift, right next to the money pouch she'd stolen earlier, and pour as much stew into her mouth as she could possibly manage, before scurrying off after her strange new companion.

Petrovits already had his horse waiting just outside the inn by the time Natalia ran out. Natalia's experience with horses was limited to the overworked beasts that the villagers used, the occasional charger or rouncey ridden by a passing knight, and of course the palfreys that the lord and his family would ride. Yet even with this limited knowledge Natalia felt quite certain that the horse before her now was the most magnificent one in existence.

He was as black and dark as a moonless night and his coat gleamed so that Natalia thought she might be able to see her own reflection. The destrier stood so tall that Natalia could have nearly walked right under his stomach, and he stood nearly even with this master, who was himself one of the tallest men Natalia had ever seen. He wasn't skinny or underfed like the village nags, or thick and heavy like the plow horses either, he was all lean muscle and untapped power just waiting to spring into action. He was just waiting to toss off his bindings and run free, he was just waiting for the right moment.

Natalia placed a gentle hand on the animal's neck, as near to his head as she could reach, and then traced her way to the saddle. Rather than being decorative, as was customary, the equipment bore only a single mark, a blood-red hand print on the saddle.

Tracing her finger over the print the little girl tilted her red head up so she could look at Petrovits, "Are you a knight? Is this the sign of your lord?"

"Something like that little one," half of his face crooked up in a smile, "now up you go." He lifted Natalia and placed her in front of the saddle before swinging up behind her.


End file.
